Holy Water
by Maiden of the Moon
Summary: Bring peace to the lost lambs, give rest to the fangs of the wolf, and deliver death to the devil- The last remaining devil on earth. Chrono. (CR one-shot)


_Disclaimer: Duck soup! XD (Oh. . . And I don't own Chrono Crusade.)_

_Author's Note: Um. . . Yeah. Not much to say, really. I got the first DVD for Christmas (XD AND I LOVE IT!- Though the manga's better. . .) and for some reason the bit with the holy water bit in the first episode kinda stuck in my mind. ::Sweatdrop::_

_I'm sure you understand how these things are. XD_

_Well! Here I go! Please enjoy! ::bow bow::_

**- **

_**Holy Water**_

**- **

A single drop glittered in the dull light, iridescent sparkles twinkling in the depths of the watery dome as it slid gracefully from his fingertip to his knuckle; leaving a burning welt in its wake. Chrono winced slightly, breath hitching in his throat as he sat up, sliding the crystal stopper into the decorative tube it had been made for. Sealed.

. . . Sealed.

". . ." He frowned from his place on the floor- smack in the middle of the church; seated in the hallway between the cushioned pews, staring straight up at the huge alter. The candles around him flickered as he glanced at them, and then towards the crucifix before him. He hesitated before re-opening the container, staring at the clear liquid through the sides of its blessed prison walls.

"Ashes to ashes. . ." he heard himself whispering, running the tips of his fingers over the rim of the vase-like creation. The fleshy pads of each digit began to sizzle; bolts of white-hot purity searing his very blood. Still, he did not set the container down, or even try to place his grip elsewhere. "Dust to dust. . ."

As he'd very soon be.

Shaking his head he gingerly set the vile in his lap, snapping his head to the left. His braid came soaring from the right consequently, falling upon his shoulder with the softest of thumps. Chrono smiled as his ruby pools fell upon the yellow ribbon, tears forming.

_Rosette. . . _

Ever so gently, he tugged on one end of the bow, pulling the seal free. His violet hair spilled freely around him as it was let loose, curtaining his small body as his trembling hand reached into his coat to pull out a seal of a different sort.

The pocket watch. . .

_I failed her._

Tying the ribbon carefully around the face of the watch- looping and re-looping the ends over and over until his quivering fingers had created a perfect bow- Chrono bit his bottom lip to keep from sobbing loudly. He had no such time to waste tonight.

_I failed her. _

Placing the chain around his neck, the devil picked up the water once more; slowly forcing himself upon his weak knees. Clasping the tube between his hands, he finally allowed his chin to fall upon his chest- praying with all of his might as he closed his eyes.

_I failed her._

And in the darkness behind his eyelids he could see it all play out again; continuously through his mind. A memory that would never, ever fade.

_I failed._

"I- in the name of the f-father, son. . . And holy spirit," his timid voice echoed, growing louder and softer as it played off of the high stone walls. His grasp on the vile tightened, feeling the fire of Heaven crackling against his skin. "**_The. . . the Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want._**

_. . . Rosette. . . _

_**  
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:  
**_

_I'm so sorry. . ._

_**He leadeth me beside the still waters.**_

_My fault- ! So still- ! So cold. . ._

_**  
He restoreth my soul:**_

_I'm so selfish. . . ! I shouldn't have let you make a Contract!_

_**  
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.**_

_I shouldn't have let you _ever _unseal my powers. . . !_

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

_. . . I shouldn't have let you throw your life away. I shouldn't have let you die. _

_**  
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;**_

_But I did. . . All because of our partnership. _

_**  
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.  
**_

_Now you're gone. . . Forever. . ._

_**  
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;**_

_And leaving only one devil left in this world. _

_**  
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.  
**_

_I couldn't- can't- do anything else. . ._

_**  
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,**_

_. . . I can at least finish this job. _

**_  
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever._**"

Chrono slowly pealed his clamped eyes half-open, allowing the river of building tears to cascade silently down his cheeks. Within a moment he had pulled his laced fingers apart, noticing that they were already pealing and red. Not that it mattered.

He uncorked the bottle, allowing the stopper to fall to the stone floor with a clatter that vibrated and sang its own special pitch for at least a minute- rolling away and hiding beneath a pew. Coward. One should never live a life of fear, one of hide-and-go-seek. . . It only births an existence of regrets.

_Yes. . . _But with this, he had no regrets. The devil lifted the vile to his lips- lips still warm from their first- and last- kiss- - -

And flung his head back, downing the entire contents in a gulp.

The effect was instantaneous. Chrono's eyes widened- glassy and pale as he doubled over, retching loudly. Clasping a hand over his mouth he began coughing wildly, vomiting blood and saliva as sweat poured down his clammy face. Whimpering softly, the demon forcibly straightened, trying to ignore the thousands of dagger-sharp claws tearing their fiery way into his very soul- spider webs of God's icy power strangling him from the inside out.

_Ro. . . sette. . . _

His time had come, too. Now they wouldn't be alone.

"Br. . . Bring peace to. . . the lost lambs," Chrono choked, clenching his fists to his heart as his senses grew dull. The glow of the candles around him became fuzzy, the spicy scent of blood weakening in his nose. His breaths became short and shallow- until he was speaking in a pained pant.

_I- - - I'm coming. . . _

"Give rest t. . .to the fangs. . . . of the wo. . .lf. . ."

He fell helplessly foreword, no longer able to stop himself. Glossy locks pooling majestically around him as his cold cheek found the even colder floor, the demon smiled slightly; fuzzy ruby orbs sliding out of focus as they became half lidded once more. The crystal container loosened in his hand, clanking loudly as it was released.

"A. . .nd. . . Deliv. . .er death. . .

T- to the. . . De. . .vil. . ."

Outside the sun rose, announcing the arrival of the new day: October 29, 1929.

And so began the Great Depression.

". . ._A_. . ._men_."

**- **

._ . . Um, yep, that's it! My one-shot is over. Hope you enjoyed. . . Please R&R!_

**(AND PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE ONLY READ THROUGH MANGA 3. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO _NOT _SPOIL THE END OF THE SERIES FOR ME! ::GROVLES:: PLEASE! **

**  
_Thankies_! XD) **


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